MYCOTIC OB INFECTIOUS G ASTRO-ENTERITIS. 



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conditions such poisons can only be produced in the digestive tube 

 (indol, skatol). Recent researches have demonstrated that the 

 ptomaines differ but little or not at all from vegetable alkaloids 

 (strychnine, atropine, muscarine, morphine, curarine); the chemical 

 composition and effects of these products are also very similar. 



We propose to give here a brief review, or rather an enumera- 

 tion, of the principal ptomaines, taking Robert's classification as a 

 guide : ^ 



First group. Bases approaching the ammoniacal : methylamine, 

 dimethylamine, trimethylamiue (contained in herring-brine); ethyl- 

 amine, diethylamine, triethylamine, ethylendiamine, dimethylethylen- 

 diamine (putricine), and its isomère saprine, pentamethylendiamine 

 (cadaverine). All these alkaloids produce spasms like ammonia itself. 



Second group. Ptomaines of the muscarine type and counting 

 trimethylamiue among their decomposition products. They are : 

 Muscarine, choline, neurine, and a few others. It is an interesting 

 fact that muscarine (C5H15NO3) is found alike in poisonous fungi 

 and in the production of cadaveric decomposition (Brieger). 



Third group. Ptomaines having as a type guanidine, and includ- 

 ing : Methylguanidine, creatine, creatinine, and other waste prod- 

 ucts of the organism. These alkaloids are therefore in reality 

 leucomaines. 



Fourth group. It includes : Guanine (the ptomaine of guano 

 and leucomaine of pancreatic decomposition), xanthine, hypoxan- 

 thine, methylxanthine, carmine, adenine, and others coming close 

 to uric acid. 



Fifth group. Amide acids: Glycocoll, leucine, tyrosine, betaine, 

 sarcosine. 



Sixth group. Pyridine bases: Pyridine, picoline, lutidine, colli- 

 dine, parvoline, corindine. 



Seventh group. Aromatic bases : Indol, skatol. 



Eighth group. Aromatics containing no oxygen : Phenic acid, 

 cresol, and a few others. 



Ninth group. Includes : Mydine and myatoxine, extracts from 

 cadavers ; tetanine, obtained from cultures of the traumatic tetanus 

 bacillus, also typhotoxine, produced from cultures of the typhoid 

 fever bacillus, and mytilotoxine, found in poisonous mussel ; per- 

 haps also lupinotoxine, and several others. 



1 Robert : Compendium der praktischen Toxicologie, 1887. 



